Buttonhole-sewing machine.



F. ZALESKI. BUTTONHOLVE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. I9I4.

PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

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FRANK ZALESKI, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR '10 THE REECE BUTTON HOLE MACHINF COMPANY PORATION OF IMLAINEIl UF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A. COR- BUTTGNI-IOLESEWING MACHINE.

l specilication, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to buttonhole sew- 4 ing machines and particularly to a device for guiding land controlling the stay cord that is frequently laid around the edge of the buttonhole and over which the buttonhole stitches are formed.

The i'nvention has particular reference to buttonhole sewing machines of that type which .are'known to the trade as the Reece machines, and examples of which may be found in the following United States Let ters Patent: No. 494,280., March i893; No. 498,216, May 23, 1893; No. 655,63?, Angust 7, 1900. is will be seen by reference to the above-cited patents, sewing machines of this type include a so-called stitch frame carrying an upper thread mechanism for manipulating the upper thread and an under thread mechanism (sometimes called a complemental vstitch-forming mechanism) for manipulating the under thread, andl this under thread mechanlsm comprises a rotary block carrying the under needle for manipulating the under thread, a throat-plate through which the needle operates, and other operative parts which it is not necessary to herein refer to. In machines of this type as heretofore built, the under thread extends up through' the hollow spindle depending from the block and is delivered from the upper end of the spindle tov a tension device and under needle while the stay-cord has usually passed up outside of the rotary oscillatory block to a guide eye on the underside of the clamp frame from which it is led into position to be attached to the buttonhole. During the operation of stitching a buttonhole, the block carrying the under thread mechanism rotates about its axis, and

in "order to'guide and hold the stay-cord properlyduring s'uch rotary movement of the block it has been customary to form the l Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led November G, 1914. Serial No. 870,697.

throat-plate with an annular groove in which the stay-cord will be laid as the block rotates.

i have herein improved the above construction by providing a means whereby the stay-cord is delivered upwardly through the spindle along with the under thread and is delivered from the upper end of the spindle to a controlling device carried by the rotary block and rotatable therewith, which controlling device has a fixed position relative to the under thread mechanism so that the stay-cord will be delivered directly from the controlling device to the throat-plate in any and all positions of the rotary block. This controlling device is also in the form of a cord-grip which permits the stay-cord to be drawn forward freely, butlocks the cord against backward movement.

, in, order to give an understanding of the invention l have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a portion of a buttonhole sewing machine of the type illustrated in said above-mentioned patents, said View showing the under thread mechanism in front elevation with the staycord grip secured thereto; Fig. 2 shows the opposite view of the under thread mechanism from that shown in Fig. 1 with some of the parts omitted; Fig. 3 is a section on the line aie-m, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section on the line y-y, Fig. 2; Fig. 5.is a plan view partly in section of the stay-cord grip.

Referring to Fig. 1 I have shown at 1 a portion of the usual clamp-frame of a but-v tonhole sewing machine of the type illustrated in the above-mentioned patents, said clamp-frame having removably attached thereto the usual clamp.plates 2 and 3 to which the work is clamped and which constitute work-supporting means. 4 indicates the needle of the upperthread mechanism so-called stitch-frame as usual in bu'ttcuhole sewing machines of the above type. rlhis under thread'mechanism comprises a throatplate 7 having an opening through which theneedle 62 Vof the under thread mechanism operates. The block 5 is also provided -wth the hollow stem. or spindle 8 which. is

movable vertically in the block and b which the movements are given to the need e, looper and other operative parts of the under thread mechanism. In devices of this nature the needle thread 9 for the under needle 62 extends up through the hollow y. spindle 8 and emerges from the opening 63 from whence it extends to suitable tension device' (not shown)v and thence to the needle,

all as usual in sewing machines of the Reece type.

In my improvements I provide a construction whereby the stay-cord 10 which is laid around the edge of the buttonhole unlderneath the buttonhole stitches can be led ing alined with the passageways 11` and 65.

The stay-cord passes up through the spindle, out through the opening 63 in the Ablock 5, and thence to a stay-cord grip device whichl is carried by the block 5 and which is best seen in `Figs. 1, 3 and 5. In

lthe throat-plate.

the present embodiment of my invention this thread grip device is mounted on an arm 15 which is secured to the stitch block 5 by means of suitable screws 16, said arm passing up through the bearing ring 70 and terminating just below and at one side of The stay-cord-gripping device'which is carried by this arm is herein shown as constituted' by two clamping members 17 and -18 which are pivoted to the Aupper end of the arm 15, as shown at 19 and 20, respectively. The member l17 .is

provided with an aperture 52 through which' the stay cord 10 passes, and with an opening 21 in which the nose 22 of the clamping member 18 operates. The clamping member 17 is acted upon by a spring 23 which is connected to the arm 15, as-shown at 24, said vspring normally tending to move the member 17 in a direction opposite to that in which the stay-cord is fed. The nose 22 is normally positioned at one side of a line connecting the centers 19 land 20, and the length of the nose is such that when the maaa'eegripping members tend to swing downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 5, the nose 22 will grip the stay-cord 10 firmly. As the stay-cord is fed forwardly in the direction of the arrows a, Fig. 5 the gripping members will also swing in the same direction sutliciently to release the gripping pressure on the stay-cord so that the latter may be freely drawn through the device. If, however, the stay-cord is drawn baclnvardly, then it becomes iirmly gripped by the nose or projection 22 and is prevented from backward movement. The stay-cord grip hereiny shown is also provided with a guide c ve i9 through which the stay-cord is led to the grip and to a roller 50 over which the stay'- cord passes from the guide-eye-to the gripping members. The arm 15 is shown as having two stop projections 2l() and 25 which limit the swinging movement of the clamping member 17. Since this stay-cord controlling device is fixedly secured to the stitch-block 5, it will rotate therewith and, therefore. the thread-gripping .members `from .which the stay-cord is delivered will always have the same position relative to the throat-plate in all positions of the stitchblock. Since the stay-cord is delivered to the lower end of the spindle S which isk the axis aboutv which the spindle turns, the turning movement of the stitch-block during the operation of the buttonhole will not atleet at all the position of the stay-cord relative to the throat-plate and will obviate any possibility of the stay-cord becoming tangled.

This invention is especially useful when used in connection with a sewing machine having the under thread clamping mechanism shown in my co-pending application Se. No. 864,187, filed September 29, 1914-, because said thread-clamping mechanism is mounted on the throat-plate at the place where the usual guiding groove. has heretofore been formed to receive the stay-cord as the stitch-block rotates about its vertical axis.

While I have shown herein a selected embodiment of my invention, I do notl wish to be limited to the constructional features shown. o

I claim: o

1. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism including an under thread mechanism, of means totdeliver a stay-cord to the buttonhole being stitched, and a stay-cord clamp carried by the under thread mechanism and having provision to permit the stay-cord to -feed forwardly but prevent it from being pulled backwardly.

2. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with upper thread mechanism and under thread mechanism, of a combined stay-cord guide and clamp carried by the under thread mechanism and operating to permit the f-cord to be fed forward but preventing it from being piiiled ioie sewing machine, the eembinntion with. npner thread""mecbenisni l, er tlireed iiiecheni, of ri -combiiied staycoid guido elm" i eomnrising a springeectiia gniding member through which tie s 7-cord passes, and a pivoted clamping mei i1" which permits the stayt'eed forward freely, but clamps it back fard movement. y

cord to a gein st e. in a, biittonhole lsewing machine, the

combination with stitclrforming mechanism including a rotary stitch bloeit provided with a throat-plate and carrying under threed ineeiiaiiism, said stitch bl cie having depending therefrom a hollow spindle pro- 'ided with two thread passages extending longitfidineily thereof to receive the under thread and stay-cord, respectively, of a staycord clamp carried by the 'block and situated between the upper endof the stay-cord threed passage and 'the throat-plete, seid clamp having means to preventbackward movement of the stay cord.v

5. ln a buttonhole sewing machine, the

combination with stitch-forming mechanism including a rotary stitch block provided with a throat-plate and carrying under thread mechanism, of a hollow7 spindle d epending from said stitch-block and movable therein for operating the under thread mechanism, said spindle'being provided with. a: longitudinally-extending stay-cordreceiving passage, and a stay-cord clamp carried by said block and provided with means to permit the stay-cord to feed freely forwardly but to prevent it from being pulled backwardly.

6. in a biittonhole sewing machine, the

combination with stitch-forming mechanism including a rotary stitch-block provided lwith a throat-plate and carrying under' piste and means coperatingwith said guide to prevent backward movement of the stay combination with worlnsupporting means, of under thread mechanism, stayecord-eon- .troiling means situated beneath the worksupporting means 'and comprising a staycord-guiding member, and means coperating with said guiding member to permit the stay-cord to feed forwardly freely but to prevent backward movement thereof.

8. in a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination. with work-supporting means, of iinder thread mechanism, stay-.cord-controlling means situate-'d beneath the worksiipporting means and comprising automatically-operative means to clamp the staylcord sind prevent backward movement thereof, said means yielding when the stay-cord is drawn forwardly-to unclamp said stay cord and permit forward feeding movement thereof;

9. ln a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with under thread mechanism, of stay-coid-controlling means carried by the under thread mechanism and Comprising a spring-pressed guiding member by which the stay-,cord is guided, and means coperating with said guiding member to clamp the stay-cord against backward movement while permitting foi wird feeding movement thereof. y

10. ln a buttonhole sewing machine, the combina tion with stitch-forming mechanism including a rotary stitch block carrying under thread mechanism, of a stay-cord clamp :ind guide carried by said block and presenting an upwardly-directed arm, a springctuated guiding member pivoted to' said arm and provided with a guide and through which the stay-cord passes, and zii-clamping member coperating with the guiding inember to prevent "backward movement of the stay-cord 'While permitting it to feed forward freely.

in testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this speciication, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. y

FRANK ZALESKI. Viitnesses:

F. A. SHEA, Louis C. SMITH. 

